INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP / CONNACHT 20 LEINSTER 49: In a game that was really all about Leinster's ability to secure victory, and seal the bonus point, this Guinness interprovincial ran its due course.
The game was well and truly over after a 12-minute spell early in the second half, during which time Leinster ran in three tries, and this season's interprovincial crown was leaving Munster for the first time in three years.
Leinster had meandered through the first half, looking almost casual in their search for points. Indeed, the only try of the first half only came five minutes from the end when Connacht were a man down after flanker Johnny O'Connor had been sinbinned.
Until then it had been Connacht who had made most of the running but with little to show for their efforts.
On two occasions Connacht's exciting young winger Ted Robinson was denied five yards from the line, while Simon Keogh foiled a similar raid from new cap hooker Jerry Flannery.
Connacht were not helped by a poor line-out, while Leinster relied on the boot of outhalf Brian O'Meara, who kicked three penalties in response to Eric Elwood's two first-half efforts.
But those three tries within the space of 12 minutes were sufficient for Leinster to finish off their season as it started by denying Declan Kidney's Munster a trophy.
The floodgates opened after just three minutes of the second half when Brian O'Driscoll made the break up the line before a slick hand off sent right wing Simon Keogh, in despite a desperate attempt by fullback Mark McHugh to bundle him into touch.
Six minutes later after three successive five metre penalties fullback Peter McKenna took advantage of the stretched Connacht defence to race in.
It was only a matter of minutes before the fourth try came and it was courtesy of some O'Driscoll magic as he skipped inside the midfield defence to touch down.
It mattered little to the outcome that outhalf Brian O'Meara had an exceptional day with the boot, successfully converting all but one of his attempts at goal.
Connacht did respond with two tries of their own, from substitute scrumhalf Chris Keane and fullback McHugh. But on a day that belonged to Leinster, O'Driscoll and Aidan McCullen finished off a good secondhalf performance with the latter scoring the final try of the night to seal a comfortable win.
SCORING SEQUENCE
5 mins: O'Meara penalty 0-3; 14: Elwood penalty 3-3; 26: O'Meara penalty 3-6; 32: O'Meara penalty 3-9; 35: Corrigan try, O'Meara conversion 3-16; 42: Elwood penalty 6-16. Half time: 6-16; 3: Keogh try, O'Meara conversion 6- 23; 49: McKenna try 6-28; 52: O'Driscoll try, O'Meara conversion 6-35; 60: Keane try, Elwood conversion 13-35; 61: O'Driscoll try, O'Meara conversion 13-42; 69: McHugh try, Elwood conversion 20-42; 77: McCullen try, O'Meara conversion 20-49.
CONNACHT: M McHugh; T Robinson, P Duignan, T Allnutt, W Munn; E Elwood, E Reddan; D McFarland, J Flannery, P Bracken, D Browne, R Frost, P Neville, J O'Connor, C Rigney. Replacements: R McCormack for McFarland, M Swift for Rigney, C Keane for Reddan ((all 50 mins).
LEINSTER: P McKenna; S Keogh, B O'Driscoll, D Quinlan, J McWeeney; B O'Meara, B Willis; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, P Wallace, L Cullen, M O'Kelly, A McCullen, K Gleeson, V Costello. Replacements: N Treston for Wllace, L Toland for Costello (57mins), D O'Brien for Cullen (63), P Smyth for Byrne (68), F Campion for O'Meara, K Lewis for O'Driscoll, B Burke for Keogh (all 72).
Referee: S McDowell (Ulster).
